Crews are making good progress battling a wildfire burning near a popular recreation area and scores of homes in the foothills near Boulder. Fire officials said Tuesday afternoon they expect the Maxwell Fire to be 70% contained by the end of the day.
Fire managers had been worried that a heat wave with low humidity hitting the Colorado Front Range could pose problems for crews. But Arapahoe-Roosevelt National Forest spokeswoman Reghan Cloudman said they have been able to keep the 60-acre Maxwell Fire within containment lines.
"Low fire activity always allows them to get more done," Cloudman said. "We've been able to mop up in some areas of the fire which is great."
The blaze in the Left Hand Canyon area was started by an unattended campfire and is burning near where last fall’s Four Mile Canyon Fire destroyed 169 homes.
Around the region, fire managers are reminding the public ahead of the busy holiday weekend that despite all the news about flooding, some forests are already dry. Temperatures were forecast to stay in the nineties for most of the remainder of the week.
"Just because things still look green and we’re still talking about flooding, it doesn’t mean that we’re not at risk for fires as temperatures continue to rise," Cloudman said.
